A Saiyan's Legacy
by Super Vegetarott
Summary: Hollow following his inability to reclaim his honor against both Frieza and Super Saiyan Goku, Vegeta finds his life at a standstill. Following an unlikely alliance with his rival's son in Gohan, Vegeta sets out to rediscover his roots and resurrect the entirety of Planet Vegeta. Join the prince and the hybrid as they redesign, rebuild, and reclaim the Saiyan legacy.
1. Chapter I: Void

Redesign. Rebuild. Reclaim.

* * *

 **A Saiyan's Legacy - Void**

It wasn't enough.

It would never be enough anymore.

Vegeta knew it with every punch he threw, with every burst of energy he exerted. There was simply no longer a point to training following Kakarot's untimely demise. He had robbed him of _everything_ —his _pride,_ his _revenge,_ his _ascension._ Thirty plus years following his namesake planet's destruction had been dedicated to gaining vengeance on the monstrous soul that robbed him, and what did he have to show for it?

Nothing.

The prince collapsed onto his back on the cold, hard ground of his gravity room, knowing this full well. He attempted to ball his hand up into a fist for what felt like the millionth time, and yet it fell slack.

"Everything I'd worked for…" he murmured to himself, unaware of the world around him any longer. All he could see was this _void_ around him—and that _idiot_ 's smiling face was, of course, at the forefront of it. "Kakarot… you fool. A Super Saiyan of your caliber was never supposed to die! You bested Frieza—twice! Any other Saiyan would have _killed_ for that opportunity!...

"…Including myself."

It burned Vegeta to the core to admit it. He was _envious_ of his Saiyan brother. "All I'd ever wanted was to feel the unimaginable power of our race's ancient power… to feel it pulsing within my grasp as I ended Frieza's life. But it chose _you!_ " His fist slammed into the ground with incredible strength. " _You_ out of all of us. The only one who didn't even know of its legend! The only one who hadn't held it as a justifiable reason to endure Frieza's tyranny!"

This rage swelled within Vegeta, and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to die himself solely so he could pummel Kakarot for his misdeed. "…And I no longer even stand a chance at defeating you."

He lay silent for what felt like a long time after that, his eyes closing as he seemed to enter the land of the unconscious. But this was anything but. For the first time in what felt like eons, Vegeta tapped into a part of his mind beyond any rage, beyond any volatile emotion.

And he found what he was looking for.

* * *

"Carry the X over here… divide the Y by two…"

Gohan had resigned himself to a life of hitting the books after his father's demise. With his father having parted from this world for the final time, the young son of Goku no longer felt an innate need to train. Doing so had been a fun pastime in these past few years with his father and Piccolo—but no longer.

His father's death had set his priorities straight. He wasn't going to be a fighter for the rest of his life. And although he knew evil would surely rise again one day, Piccolo had more than doubled his efforts to train in an effort to counterbalance the loss of yet another protect. Gohan was thankful that the Namekian, more than any other, understood his plight. Although he was sure he could pick up the art of combat at any point, there wasn't a drive to do it any longer. Not with his father gone.

The door creaked open, and Gohan immediately looked over his shoulder at his mother. He had grown relatively used to the standard routine by now. His mother would bring up a hot snack in exchange for him having shown her his completed work.

Although this time, he noticed that there was no tray at all. Instead, his mother carried a much more concerned face.

"Gohan, close your books and come out of your room. You have… a guest."

Gohan's eyes narrowed. He was almost sure that his mother was being held hostage now, but by what he didn't know. Whoever it was had concealed their energy all too perfectly for him to notice.

He didn't drop his guard for a moment. He shut the book carefully and eased toward his mother, keeping any wary eyes for sudden movement on the assumed attacker's part. Then, with a finesse he didn't remember having, he leapt out and thrust a fist perfectly past his mother's face—

-to hit nothing.

Instead, he slammed his fist against the wall, joining the living room and his own together. It didn't hurt him, of course, but he was astounded that his mother could be so placid without any provocation.

Then, suddenly, he saw the horrifying sight of Vegeta come into his view, laying on his couch and gesturing to a chair across from him.

"Sit, Gohan. You and I have matters to discuss."

Gohan did his best to act composed despite being shell-shocked. Even if he had been keeping up his training, he knew Vegeta had been making incredible progress in his own right. The prince could've very easily slain both his mother and himself in a solid minute.

Seemingly noticing his anxiety, Vegeta jerked his head in Chi-Chi's direction. "The woman may have a seat as well, if she would like."

The young Saiyan boy then picked up on the royal's remark. Not only was he addressed by his full name – a feat Vegeta seemed to reserve for very few – but he didn't make any disparaging claims about his mother. Just what was going on?

Slowly, carefully, he took a seat in his mother's lap, a fact that Vegeta seemed to notice but didn't discourage. Gohan had to admit, this inquisitive side of Vegeta was growing more ominous by the minute. The young boy had plenty of experience with keeping the prince's fluctuating emotions in check, but this was something new altogether, something he couldn't prepare for in the least.

"When I first came to Earth, I had two goals in mind. I was going to become immortal with the Dragon Balls and deal with your excuse of a father." Gohan felt the urge to defend him, but this more serene Vegeta compelled him to keep his own mental focus. Who knew what was coming next? "But something slipped my mind until very recently. I remembered telling Nappa about the potential of half-breeds such as yourself. Even before I met you, I knew you were something incredible. The Namekian's death in particular proved that to me."

"I still hate you for that, you know," Gohan impulsively remarked. He wanted to cover his mouth after saying it, but he couldn't cower down. Not now.

Vegeta smiled at that, much to Gohan's surprise. It wasn't even his typical smirk. "As you should. The bonds of comrades run deeper than family, in my opinion. Bleeding together is a sign of respect, of unionship. We shared those bonds when we fought Frieza and the Ginyu Force. That's why I've come here today."

"Are you taking my son?" Chi-Chi felt the need to question, tightening her embrace on her child. As powerless as she knew she was, her baby boy had been snatched away from her once, and she was not going to let it happen again.

A weak glare was offered in response. "No. There would be no point to kidnapping Gohan. Doing so would just prove how weak I am in comparison to Kakarot, having to attack his son just to prove my own worth. Instead, what I offer you both is a… proposition."

Both mother and son tensed up. Gohan in particular felt his fists begin to tighten. 'So this is it,' he internally remarked. 'This is where the nice guy angle ends.'

"I aim to recreate the planet both your father and I were born on. Planet Vegeta will see its resurrection, along with every single Saiyan that Frieza had the gall to exterminate during its initial explosion." A glimmer appeared in Vegeta's eye. "I need someone with a brain like yours to help me restore it. Building up an empire like Frieza's means little to me now—all I want is the satisfaction of making all of that lizard's efforts for naught."

He could feel Vegeta's eyes on him now, and although there wasn't any threat in place he couldn't help but feel unnerved. Restoring Planet Vegeta would likely be a daunting task, especially keeping all of the Saiyans in check. And what would be of his home on Earth? Surely the prince wasn't expecting him to abandon everything he'd gone to Namek to restore in the first place…?

Suddenly, a thought came to him. There was a way to get Vegeta off the planet in a non-violent matter very easily. "Why pick me? Bulma's the person you're looking for. Not only do you have a half-breed Saiyan to raise as a royal, but her technology would get you up and running in days!"

Vegeta immediately spat at the idea. "I refuse. The boy clearly doesn't have the potential you do, Gohan. His hair isn't even black. And as for that harpy herself… I'd rather die than have her be attached to any supposed royalty."

"Bulma's a great girl!" Chi-Chi adamantly tried to plead. "She's pretty, she's smart, and she can help you more than Gohan ever could! She's the heir to the Earth's biggest business, for god's sake! You couldn't have asked for a better package!"

"I've made my decision, woman," Vegeta firmly responded. "I don't plan to mate with you, either, so you can relax about that. An offspring is the last thing on my mind right now. What I want is to redesign and rebuild the Saiyan race, to reclaim its title as a clan of warrior not to be messed with. And as much as you don't like it, your son is the best qualified to aid me."

"You said you weren't going to kidnap me… so what makes you think that I'll come along, Vegeta?" Gohan asked. Vegeta's endgame was clear; now Gohan had to test just how far he was willing to go. "I'm not gonna leave my home to rebuild one I never had in the first place."

Vegeta laughed. "I expected something along those lines, Gohan. And I wasn't foolish enough to come without an answer." His eyes narrowed. "The work I've done for years hasn't stopped with Frieza's demise. Planets are still being cleaned out by the hundreds. I'd argue the numbers are hitting an all-time high now that there's no galactic overlord in place to keep everything balanced. Millions, if not billions of people are being slaughtered in this very instant, wishing they had someone to help them in their time of need. You could very easily be that someone."

Gohan paled. The logistics of the empire Frieza had run hadn't fully hit him until this moment. So many, just like Dende, were being flushed out of their homes and slaughtered mindlessly.

"I can give you that voice, that power you desire to stop universal genocide," Vegeta pressed on. He extended a gloved hand. "All you have to do is give me my planet back."

Gohan hesitated to shake Vegeta's outstretched palm. The idea was absurd. Why, after all that had transpired, would Vegeta want to suddenly revive his race? Could his father's demise really have opened such a void in the prince? And why would he ever ask the help of his rival's family?

It just didn't make sense.

And neither did the moment when Gohan met the prince halfway and grasped his hand.

"Let my mother come along," Gohan added, "and don't harm the Earth in any way."

"Done," Vegeta simply answered. "Now, do we have a deal or not?"

"Gohan, don't do this!" Chi-Chi immediately cut in. Never once had she actually entertained the idea of Gohan considering this deal, but now her son was agreeing to a whole new way of life for them. "Think about Krillin! Think about… Piccolo!"

Gohan looked over his shoulder at her with a level of maturity that even confounded his mother. "And think about all the innocent lives I could save by being out there instead of in here. You know this is something dad wouldn't pass up for anything."

His mother remained silent at that.

The young hybrid turned his attention back toward the flame-haired royal, who stared at him expectantly. "Vegeta… I still don't get why you need my help specifically…

"But you have a deal."

* * *

 _Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to what is the resurrection of one of my very first projects on the site—_ A Saiyan's Legacy.

 _The timing of this is quite odd, to be sure. I mean, it's been three months since my last upload, and that one in itself came at a point where I pretty much acknowledged that I've slowly begun to distance myself from FanFiction. However, re-reading one of my favorite fics(_ Who Would Have Thought _? by WingsofSeyfert12) really inspired me to, at the very least, put out this opening chapter. I wrote it all last night, having very little in mind other than some basic plot points I was going to hit over the duration of the story, and I'm actually relatively pleased with how this opening chapter turned out._

 **For those of you wondering:** _No, Vegeta is not going to be considered out of character. I find it prudent to mention this because of the intro to this story having Vegeta be much more introspective than in canon. The truth is, we don't know how he responded to Goku's death in the future because all we see of him afterward is his death to Android 17. I felt compelled to take this different path with him as a result, to really explore a Vegeta that doesn't have the chance to play off of Goku._

 _Any questions you may have in the future will likely be addressed when(or if) the next chapter is uploaded, but even so feel free to leave them here and I'll be happy to PM you a response. This being a story idea that I conceived 4 years ago(and have tried to revive 3 times prior to this), I know in my heart that I do love this project. However, it remains to be seen if I can truly get a writing spark back, and if I do it's going to have to re_


	2. Chapter II: Departure

**Resurrection Saga – Part 1: Departure**

Vegeta was not one to waste time. By the turn of the day he had ensured that both his traveling compatriots had packed themselves completely, having to restrain himself from unleashing his anger when the mother packed all of the hybrid's textbooks into a comparatively larger bag.

"He's going to fight, woman," he would add with a half-smirk. "Not study." But of course her answer was to give him a glare and resume packing anyway, obviously adamant on keeping her own goals for the boy. Vegeta couldn't blame her for that determination, nor did he plan to prevent it. The boy's brainpower was the prime reason the prince had chosen him to be by his side.

Suddenly, he was reminded of the woman—the one who had sired his child. He couldn't deny that she was a very physically attractive woman, far moreso than anyone he'd ever encountered. However, she was far too risky for his own good. One encounter with her had resulted in the biggest mistake of his life, one he wished he could take back. The brat – or "Trunks", as she had so hideously named him – didn't even have black hair. If he had even that quality about him, perhaps he could've lied about his origins.

'It's better this way,' Vegeta thought to himself. 'If he even has _half_ the temper his mother does, I don't even want to imagine what he'd be like.'

He was awoken from his thoughts when a feminine shriek erupted from the inside of his former rival's home, prompting him to dash inside. Once he had looked from side to side to make sure she was in no harm, he scowled at her.

"What the hell's your problem now, woman? Forgot a pencil?" he snidely remarked.

"It's not that…" Chi-Chi murmured back… "Gohan's not in his room!"

Vegeta was taken aback. He had kept a firm grasp on the boy's energy signal since the minute he formulated his plan, and now he'd gone and escaped on him. "You realize that if he's fled the planet, I'll have your head for it."

Before she could say anything else, he blasted off through the roof with a blue aura trailing behind him, the ensuing debris almost ruining Gohan's new Advanced Physiology textbook. That, more than anything, was what elicited a chorus of curses from the woman.

* * *

"You're sure you can't come with us, Mister Piccolo?"

Though he did not break his lotus position, Piccolo put his hand on Gohan's head with the faintest hint of a smile. "I'll get you the coordinates from your father, I can promise you that. But going with you is a promise I can't make, kid. It's like I told you when the Namekians left—Earth is my home. The Earth needs someone like me to stick around now that you, your father, and Vegeta aren't going to be around any longer."

Gohan pouted. "I… I understand…" Suddenly, he felt much less confident in himself. His whole plan had been to casually introduce his mother, Piccolo, and Krillin into his negotiations with Vegeta, but now he realized how selfish such an idea was. The Earth needed protection as well. "S-Should… I stay? Even if Vegeta's mad, we could fight him together."

Piccolo frowned. "Don't do that to yourself, Gohan. You've prepared yourself for a noble journey—your father would be proud of you having this idea. All I can ask of you is one thing."

"W-What?" Gohan nearly whimpered, sounding like the young child he really was.

"Don't lose yourself up there… in the stars." Piccolo looked up. "Space travel changes people, kid. Your father would never admit it, but when Krillin died, there was a fire in his eyes that never truly faded away. Bulma's been much more friendly to me now that she's seen Nameks like Moori. A stupid mistake on her end, considering I'm the son of the demon king, but still…" Piccolo half-smirked when Gohan wasn't even fazed. "And even you, Gohan. Before you went to Namek, you were a scared little brat that was just going to be another pawn in my plan to defeat the Saiyans and take over the world. And now, you're going to make sure that not only the world, but the universe, doesn't fall prey to people like me."

"You're not like that anymore," Gohan firmly stated. "And you know it."

"Hm. Perhaps so…" Piccolo looked at the boy's face again. "And you know that I'm right about you as well. That's why, friend… we part ways here."

He extended his hand to the boy, watching as tears began to form in his eyes. Even as his own heart began to swell with emotion, Piccolo reined in his sorrow. "I'll tell you one thing, kid."

"This isn't the last time we're seeing each other, Mister Piccolo." Gohan spoke determinedly, as he grasped his friend's hand with both of his own. "Count on it."

In that moment, Gohan saw what was possibly the largest grin Piccolo could muster.

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

* * *

Vegeta soared through the sky, growling as he glanced in every conceivable direction to get an indication of the boy's presence. He certainly needed to learn how to suppress his power level; the fact that the boy could do it made tracking him that much more difficult. "I swear, brat, when I get my hands on you…"

As if summoned by the prince himself, a streak of blue light appeared in front of Vegeta. As it faded, Gohan stood across him, his expression solemn.

"I'm ready now," he spoke, nearly unfeeling in his tone.

"And why the hell did you take so long to appear? Better yet, why in the hell would you _dare_ to run from your prince?" Vegeta folded his arms. "You're walking a tight rope with me, boy, and remember that I can cut that rope at any minute I choose."

"I had to take care of something. And don't forget, Vegeta, Piccolo's still stronger than you." That factoid made Vegeta's eye twitch, because unfortunately, it was true. His escapades with Bulma had given the Namekian the time he needed to surpass the prince. "But forget that. Let's go."

"Any plans to tell me what you were doing?" Vegeta pried further, still slightly untrusting of his rival's child.

"The same thing you're planning to do when you revive the Saiyans."

That certainly took Vegeta aback. "And what do you…?"

"Get closure."

* * *

 _It had been in the deep night when their plan had been put into action. After Piccolo had tricked Goku and King Kai into revealing New Namek's coordinates, the three space travelers snuck over to Capsule Corp. Although she felt guilty about doing so, Chi-Chi had distracted Bulma with advice about baby Trunks before Gohan triggered a decoy alarm. And then, in that moment, Bulma hastily excused herself to rectify the situation._

 _Before she could come to terms with what had happened, Vegeta had rounded up both mother and son and launched the ship into outer space. Within several minutes, all of the Z-Fighters had congregated, wondering why Gohan and Chi-Chi would have dared associate with Vegeta._

 _Piccolo said nothing, even as Bulma wept fervently in realization that her dream of a family was going to be no more. When attention turned to him, the Namekian only offered that Gohan was not in harm's way._

 _He didn't mind the isolation and scorn that came from the rest of the Z-Fighters. He didn't truly consider any of them close friends to begin with, especially not when they dared to claim he didn't understand Gohan. They would only do so if they themselves understood Goku and all that he stood for._

* * *

 _Okay, so… hey, readers. It's Super Vegetarott, here for one last ride._

 _Well. Sort of._

 _I never, ever thought I would actually write for FanFiction again. In fact, I still don't consider myself that much of a FanFiction writer. However,_ A Saiyan's Legacy _is literally the only idea that ever truly saw itself manifest into a fully fledged storyline_ three _times before on my account. Even post-retirement, I had ideas and plot points for this story swimming through my head. It also helps that ASL was never going to be an epic tale, spanning only a few arcs instead of the entire DBZ storyline._

 **So to that end, with everything I had written about in my retirement note from** _ **Red Son,**_ **why would I return to FFN?**

 _The answer is this: In the past few months, I have been through a bit of a crossroads with my life. I'm not sure of what kind of path I want to pursue, I've been in a transitional period with my interests/hobbies, and so on… I wouldn't call it depression, as I mentioned, but it's certainly not a pleasant feeling to have._

 _That's part of the reason I came back here, to be honest. This place is what I want to use to fill a void in my life that exists right now, and while I don't want to completely put your hopes down right now, I probably won't come off as talented/well-written as I used to. This is because, quite honestly, during my initial run on FanFiction, I used to be very concerned with putting out a gripping narrative with dynamic word choices and the like. I wanted to feel proud of myself for constructing a great story, but where I failed is that I invested so much of my efforts into those stories that_ none of them ever _truly progressed._

 _I was enamored with this idea that having higher chapter numbers made things sound really cool and all, and higher word counts equated to a story with more feeling. I'm not saying that's incorrect, but it's not what's optimal for me, a guy who only wanted to share his passion for_ Dragon Ball _online with people like himself._

 _So… what does this mean? Essentially, I'm coming back for now. I'm not going to promise the same level of commitment, energy, or even quality in my work, but I do maintain that what I put into this story is going to be nothing short of what I want it to be. I may not have longer chapters, but I will cover what should be covered. I may not have super-long story arcs, but what I have will see a conclusion. And most importantly to me, I am going to have fun writing a story instead of breaking my back over it._

 _I realize that to any of you who don't know me on a more personal level, this rant seems completely out of character for me. I'll just leave it at this: this change in perspective has not impacted my love for the people who read and write stories on here. I genuinely do believe that writing brings out the best in some people, and that everyone should do it every now and again in their lives._

 _This is my "now and again" moment. I will flat out tell you that this run isn't going to last forever. I would be very surprised if it lasted even a year, to be frank. But in that timespan, when I have the opportunity, I want to realize what has been my favorite story idea I've ever had._

 _-_ **Majority question: Is this story set in the future timeline?**

Yes. Honestly, I forgot to mention the heart virus in chapter 1, but I actually like it better this way because it allowed me to kinda reveal that in this chapter's actual story content.


End file.
